A group of men were recorded stalking a ‘beloved’ dad before stabbing him and leaving him on the street to die.
This clip takes place after 21-year-old Benjamin Bibby had an argument with Lee Dawson, 42, at a house party in Preston, Lancashire, on June 17 last year.
Things escalated and Mr Dawson punched Bibby, who then left the party with his friend Andrew Wilcock, 29.
The pair returned with balaclavas and knives but the police intervened before any violence could take place at the house.
So Bibby and Wilcock went out looking for Mr Dawson and eventually found him and his friend at around 2.47am.
Footage shows them launching an attack on their victim, who tries to face the pair head-on, wrapping his shirt around his arm.
As Bibby and Wilcock are swinging their knives in Mr Dawson’s direction, Robert Cross, 34, joins the assault, followed by Kerry-Ann Metcalf, 39, walking behind him.
The group ended up stabbing Mr Dawson several times, penetrating his chest cavity.
They then ‘left him to die on the pavement’, where his body was found at 4.05am.
Bibby and Wilcock were convicted of murder and received minimum life sentences of 24 years after a three-week trial at Preston Crown Court.
Cross, 34, was convicted of manslaughter and given 15 years in prison, while Kerry-Ann Metcalf received 15 months after being found guilty of assisting an offender.
Mr Dawson’s mum Christine said: ‘Now the trial is over, it feels like a line has been drawn under Lee’s life.
‘A mother should not have to witness her son die. Lee had so much to live for and these people have taken that away.
‘We have to live with this huge loss and emptiness. We have to now plan and live a life without Lee in it and I am so angry that these people have put us in this position.
‘I am not letting them make us victims. Why would I give them that satisfaction? They have taken enough from us.’
Detective chief inspector Mark Haworth-Oates said: ‘Sadly, yet again, we have a case where a man has lost his life through this kind of senseless violence.
‘Bibby and Wilcock could have walked away from their argument with Mr Dawson at any time but instead they went to collect knives, put on face coverings and lay in wait from him to come past before attacking him.
‘Cross happened across this incident by chance but again they had a choice.
‘He took the choice of joining the knife wielding attackers, further outnumbering Mr Dawson and chased him down the street where he was stabbed to death.
‘All of those involved left Mr Dawson on the pavement to die – something that his family have had to watch play out during the trial as they try to come to terms with his loss.’
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